Apparatus for mechanically cleaning the rails of tramways or the like.



G. DELMEZ.

APPARATUS FOR MECHANIGALLY CLEANING THE RAILS 0F TRAMWAYS OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION I'ILED MAY 4, 1911.

Patented July 9, 1912.

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G. DELMEZ.

APPARATUS FOR MEGHANIGALLY CLEANING THE RAILS 0F TRAMWAYS OR THE LIKE.

' APPLICATION FILED MAY 4,1911.

1,032,275, Patented July 9, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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G. DELMEZ. APPARATUS FOR MEGHANIGALLY CLEANING THE RAILS 0F TRAMWAYS OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4, 1911.

1,032,275 Patented July 9, 1912.

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UNITED srarns PATENT OFFICE.

CELESTIN DELMEZ, 0F ANTWERP, BELGIUM.

APPARATUS FOR MECHANICALLY CLEANING THE RAILS 0F TRAMWAYS OR THE LIIiE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CnLnsTIN DELMEZ, a subject of the King of Belgium, and resident of 15 Rue de Petit Ghien, Antwerp, Belgium, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Mechanically Cleaning the Rails of Tramways or the Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus intended to be applied to tramway cars or the like and the object of which consists in removing and sweeping the dirt from the grooves of the rails.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tramway car provided with my im proved cleaning apparatus; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of same; Fig. 3 shows a front elevation of a car having the apparatus applied thereto.

1, 2, 3, and 1, indicate scrapers somewhat similar to plow shares, and are adapted to fit in the grooves of the rails and over the upper surface of the latter. Adjacent each scraper is a metallic brush, said brushes being indicated at 5, 6, 7 and 8, the brushes engaging the treadand groove of the rail to release the dirt therefrom. The scrapers are mounted on the brushes by means of yieldable connections 9, and below each connection is an adjusting nut 9, whereby to permit each scraper to be raised or lowered to properly fit the groove of a rail in operative position. Each brush is secured to the lower end of a rod indicated at 10, 11, 12 and 13 slidably mounted in a frame 14, which is secured to the framework of the car.

Mounted in a suitable frame are two transverse shafts 15, and 16. Keyed to the upper shaft 16, are two arms 19, provided at their ends with slots through which pass pins 19 extending from the rods or standards 12 and 13 of the brushes 5 and 6. Extending from the lower shaft 15, are two arms 19, provided at their ends with slots through which pins 19*, extend from the standards 10 and 11 of the standards of the brushes 7 and 8. The arms 19 and 19, extend in opposite directions to engage with the respective brush standards, as shown in Fig. 1. In order to adjust the brushes, the standards 10, 11, 12 and 18, are each pro- .vided with a series of perforations 21,

through which the pins 19 and 19 pass.

Secured to the shafts 15 and 16, are arms Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 4, 1911.

Patented July 9, 1912.

Serial N 0. 625,006.

22, and 23, and pivotally connected to arin 22, is a rod 2 1, and pivoted to arm 23, is a rod 25. The rods 24 and 25 extend to opposite ends of the car, and are each provided with a turnbuckle 26 for adjustment. The ends 26 of the rods 24 and 25 are pivoted to arms 27, extending from vertical operating shafts 28, provided at their upper ends with handles 29. By operating the handles 29, the brushes and the scrapers associated therewith may be raised or lowered. The ends 26" of the rods 24 and 25, are each provided with a depressed portion, so that when either of theshafts 28 are turned, the pivotal connections between the arms 27, and ends 26, will be beyond the plane of a line drawn through the said shafts and the main portions of the rods 2 1 and 25, thus forming a lock to hold the brushes and scrapers in elevated position.

The arrangement shown in the drawings provides for brushes and scrapers to operate on the rails, whether the car be moving forward or backward.

In operation, if the car is moving toward the left (Fig. 1), the brushes 7, 8, and the scrapers 3-4, will be lowered by operating the crank handle 29, on the front of the car, under such circumstances, the brushes 5--6, and scrapers 12 are elevated, while if the car is moving in the opposite direction, the position of the respective brushes and scrapers will be reversed. The scrapers release the dirt from the grooves and tread portions of the rails, and the brushes remove the dirt entirely from said rails. If there should be an obstruction on the rails, the connections 9 will yield to permit of the scrapers freely passing Without breaking the parts.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In a device for cleaning track rails the combination of a pair of brushes, standards extending upwardly from said brushes, said standards having perforations, guides through which the standards pass, a scraper secured to each brush, said scraper having a yieldable connection to permit it to yield when encountering an obstruction, a shaft, slotted arms extending from the shaft, pins passing through the slots of the arms and the perforations in the standards, an operat' ing arm extending from said shaft, a crank shaft, and a rod connecting the crank shaft I and the operating arm, said rod having a depressed portion to permit the crank of the crank shaft to swing beyond the line of the major portion of the rod to form a lock to hold the brushes elevated.

2. A device for cleaning tramway rails comprising in combination with the frame work and the platforms, of a car, two brushes located on each side of the frame, a scraper connected to the outer edge portion of each brush, a standard on each brush, each standard having perforations, means for vertically guiding said standards, a horizontal shaft for two brushes located on the opposite sides of the frame, a second horizontal shaft for the other two brushes located on the opposite sides of the frame, two arms secured on each of said shafts, the free ends of each arm being forked, and pivot pins engaging said perforations in the forks and standards, a vertical shaft on each platform of the car, an arm on said vertical shaft, an operating arm on each of said horizontal shafts, and rods connecting the arms of said vertical and horizontal shafts.

3. A device for cleaning rails comprising in combination with the frame work and the platform, of a car, a brush located on each side of the frame work, a scraper secured on the forward end of each brush, a perforated standard on each brush, a horizontal shaft pivoted to the frame work, slotted armssecured to the horizontal shaft and extending outwardly therefrom adjacent each perforated standard, pivot pins extending through the slots of said arms and the perforations in said standards, an operating lever extending from said shaft, means on the platform connected with the operating lever for raising and lowering the brushes and scrapers, said means including a locking device for holding the brushes in.

elevated position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

OELESTIN DELMEZ.

Witnesses C. VAN NELSEN, G. DEHERSZ.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

